Datastream
Ranked: The World’s Fastest Growing Brands in 2021
The Briefing
- The fastest growing brand on the list is Tesla, which isn’t surprising—the company’s stock increased by almost 700% in 2020.
- What happened for Tesla last year to warrant such a boost? The company entered the SUV market with its launch of the Model Y, and started production in China, which increased sales in the country by 90% in the first 9 months of 2020.
- TikTok, which ranks 2nd on the list, was the world’s most downloaded app in 2020.
The World’s Fastest Growing Brands in 2021
2020 was a tough year for the U.S. economy.
In Q2 2020, the country reported its steepest drop in real GDP ever recorded. Because of COVID-19, companies were forced to adapt. But things weren’t all bad—in fact, some companies even managed to prosper throughout the pandemic-induced madness.
Here’s a look at the top 10 fastest growing brands of 2021, using data from Kantar BrandZ’s Top 100 Global brands report:
| Rank | Brand | Brand Value % Growth | Category |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tesla | 275% | 🚗 Cars & Transportation |
| 2 | TikTok | 158% | 📱 Media & Entertainment |
| 3 | Pinduoduo | 131% | 🛍 Consumer Goods & Retail |
| 4 | Meituan | 119% | 💻 Technology |
| 5 | Moutai | 103% | 🍺 Food & Beverages |
| 6 | 100% | 📱 Media & Entertainment | |
| 7 | Uniqlo | 88% | 🛍 Retail |
| 8 | Lululemon | 85% | 🛍 Retail |
| 9 | Chipotle | 82% | 🌯 Food & Beverages |
| 10 | JD.com | 75% | 🛍 Retail |
Tesla takes the top spot, with an impressive 275% boost in brand value compared to the year prior. A big part of Tesla’s growth was its production expansion into China, which boosted sales in the country in early 2020.
It’s worth noting that Tesla sales in China have slumped recently—in July 2021, Tesla made up merely 3.9% of battery electric vehicles sales in China, down from 12.6% the month prior. The good news? Tesla’s investors don’t seem too concerned—following the news of decreased sales in China, Tesla’s stock prices dipped less than 1%.
Retail for the Win
When it comes to fastest growing brands in 2021, the most popular category is retail.
While many retailers took a hit in 2020, certain apparel brands with strong leisure offerings such as Lululmeon and Uniqlo experienced growth as consumer demand for comfortable, stay-at-home clothing boomed.
For instance, throughout store closures and city-wide lockdowns, Lululemon still managed to increase its net revenue by 11% in 2020. Of course, this growth was strongly supported by a surge in eCommerce sales.
>>Like this? Then check out this full-length article The Reputation of 100 Major Brands in the U.S.
Where does this data come from?
Source: Kantar BrandZ 2021 Top 100 Global Brands report.
Details: Fastest-growing brands are ranked by their “brand value,” which Kantar Brandz measures by multiplying a brand’s total financial value ($) with its proportional impact (%) on its parent company’s sales. For more information on methodology, check out the full report.
Economy
Charted: Public Trust in the Federal Reserve
Public trust in the Federal Reserve chair has hit its lowest point in 20 years. Get the details in this infographic.
The Briefing
- Gallup conducts an annual poll to gauge the U.S. public’s trust in the Federal Reserve
- After rising during the COVID-19 pandemic, public trust has fallen to a 20-year low
Charted: Public Trust in the Federal Reserve
Each year, Gallup conducts a survey of American adults on various economic topics, including the country’s central bank, the Federal Reserve.
More specifically, respondents are asked how much confidence they have in the current Fed chairman to do or recommend the right thing for the U.S. economy. We’ve visualized these results from 2001 to 2023 to see how confidence levels have changed over time.
Methodology and Results
The data used in this infographic is also listed in the table below. Percentages reflect the share of respondents that have either a “great deal” or “fair amount” of confidence.
| Year | Fed chair | % Great deal or Fair amount |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Jerome Powell | 36% |
| 2022 | Jerome Powell | 43% |
| 2021 | Jerome Powell | 55% |
| 2020 | Jerome Powell | 58% |
| 2019 | Jerome Powell | 50% |
| 2018 | Jerome Powell | 45% |
| 2017 | Janet Yellen | 45% |
| 2016 | Janet Yellen | 38% |
| 2015 | Janet Yellen | 42% |
| 2014 | Janet Yellen | 37% |
| 2013 | Ben Bernanke | 42% |
| 2012 | Ben Bernanke | 39% |
| 2011 | Ben Bernanke | 41% |
| 2010 | Ben Bernanke | 44% |
| 2009 | Ben Bernanke | 49% |
| 2008 | Ben Bernanke | 47% |
| 2007 | Ben Bernanke | 50% |
| 2006 | Ben Bernanke | 41% |
| 2005 | Alan Greenspan | 56% |
| 2004 | Alan Greenspan | 61% |
| 2003 | Alan Greenspan | 65% |
| 2002 | Alan Greenspan | 69% |
| 2001 | Alan Greenspan | 74% |
Data for 2023 collected April 3-25, with this statement put to respondents: “Please tell me how much confidence you have [in the Fed chair] to recommend the right thing for the economy.”
We can see that trust in the Federal Reserve has fluctuated significantly in recent years.
For example, under Alan Greenspan, trust was initially high due to the relative stability of the economy. The burst of the dotcom bubble—which some attribute to Greenspan’s easy credit policies—resulted in a sharp decline.
On the flip side, public confidence spiked during the COVID-19 pandemic. This was likely due to Jerome Powell’s decisive actions to provide support to the U.S. economy throughout the crisis.
Measures implemented by the Fed include bringing interest rates to near zero, quantitative easing (buying government bonds with newly-printed money), and emergency lending programs to businesses.
Confidence Now on the Decline
After peaking at 58%, those with a “great deal” or “fair amount” of trust in the Fed chair have tumbled to 36%, the lowest number in 20 years.
This is likely due to Powell’s hard stance on fighting post-pandemic inflation, which has involved raising interest rates at an incredible speed. While these rate hikes may be necessary, they also have many adverse effects:
- Negative impact on the stock market
- Increases the burden for those with variable-rate debts
- Makes mortgages and home buying less affordable
Higher rates have also prompted many U.S. tech companies to shrink their workforces, and have been a factor in the regional banking crisis, including the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank.
Where does this data come from?
Source: Gallup (2023)
Data Notes: Results are based on telephone interviews conducted April 3-25, 2023, with a random sample of –1,013—adults, ages 18+, living in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. For results based on this sample of national adults, the margin of sampling error is ±4 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. See source for details.
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